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Blink and you missed 'em: The lifetime achievement winners,
including Gene Autry (deceased) and Brenda Lee (not), whose awards seemed like a
pitiful little afterthought appended to other, flashier awards. Question,
Recording Academy: Why award them if you're not gonna make at least a little
fuss?
Cutest shout-out to a parental unit: Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, winning
for "Stay": "To my mama, she's here tonight, she carted me around to every
wedding and funeral, she's my date, she's beautiful!"
Cutest unintentional channeling of a music icon: Brit-soul
sister Duffy looked just like Dolly Parton
when she smiled, with her big blonde hair and those deep dimples.
She's finally found her venue: The intimate coffee-shop
setting really worked for Taylor Swift, who's had some trouble
being heard during other awards shows in front of big orchestration. Her voice
sounded downright sweet, especially next to the screechy (if enthusiastic) Miley
Cyrus. (Oh, and Miley, not cute to point to yourself when Taylor said,
"And the Grammy goes to ... ") Detention, girl.
Related: See photos of Taylor Swift
Cutest May-December winners: Four-time winners Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, both of whom were as
bubbly as, well, Miley -- but using their inside voices.
Least appropriate "brother act" to reference as an intro to the Jonas
brothers, you silly "CSI" star: Cain and Abel. Because they killed?
Best impression of a silvery garbage bag: Estelle's unfortunate dress that
looked like armholes had been cut in it five minutes before hitting the stage.
Gorgeous girl deserves better!
Swallow it!: Best New Artist winner Adele (truly deserving) channeling
Lynn Redgrave in "Georgy Girl" -- totally adorable, except that she was
chewing gum. Onstage.
Best pop art: M.I.A.'s eye-popping polka-dot ladybug
maternity onesie. Oh, mama!
Most curious prop: The stuffed animal atop the speaker
during Paul McCartney and the Foo Fighters' "I Saw Her Standing
There." Because she was just 17?
Fruit loop: Katy Perry may love that cherry Chap
Stick, but her performance was drowned out by the giganto apples, grapes and
bananas all over the stage, on her minidress, even in the air. Somewhere in
heaven, Busby Berkeley and Carmen Miranda are calling their lawyers.
Conspicuous absence: Jennifer Aniston, not sitting next to
honey John Mayer, who won for Male Pop
performance. (Or is he just not that into her?)
Is there anything she can't do?: Gwyneth Paltrow (aka
Mrs. Chris Martin) took time off from acting, raising two perfect children,
hosting a TV travel series, launching a fitness empire and writing her
GOOP newsletter -- to introduce Radiohead and the USC Marching Band.
Best of the randomly paired musical acts: Justin Timberlake
and T.I., both in top form and truly
complementing each other on the ultra-sleek "Dead and Gone." But why did the
lighting guy keep them in the dark for their riveting duet?
Nobody's ever accused him of phoning it in: But wasn't
uber-showman Neil Diamond just a little ... subdued? Speak-shouting the words to
"Sweet Caroline," he was almost like a karaoke version of himself.
He was robbed: The late jazz great David "Fathead" Newman
had to share a memorial slide, but the composer of the "Batman" TV theme song
got his own?
Go-to guitarist of the night: Keith Urban, who seemed to be
jamming with just about everyone all night long.
Not so Lil: The hardest-working man in showbiz in all of
2008, Lil Wayne, got shoe-horned into an act
with Robin Thicke. Even so, the tribute to
New Orleans was Wayne's world (including introducing Allen Toussaint and the
cast of dozens). And he deserved his boatload of Grammys.
Most endearing old coot speech: Robert Plant, co-winner with Alison Krauss for Album of the Year:
"In the old days, we would have called this selling out, but I think it's a good
way to spend a Sunday."
We couldn't agree more.
More Grammy coverage: Photos | Video | More
Kati Johnston is a frequent contributor to MSN Entertainment. Send her
e-mail at kati.johnston@comcast.net. |
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